Virgin Atlantic is to launch a £6m global campaign which evokes the lush, racy title sequences of James Bond films.

The airline said that the "surreal and glamorous" 90-second TV and cinema ads aim to reinforce its "it" factor image and help it recover from the recession.

Virgin Atlantic said this is the first truly global TV campaign it has ever run, with airtime booked in the UK and key US cities including New York, Washington, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The commercial, which was made by ad agency RKCR, features the strapline "Your airline's either got it or it hasn't" and is soundtracked by Muse's cover of Feeling Good, a song made famous by Nina Simone.

"The campaign takes the viewer on a metaphorical flight with Virgin Atlantic, guiding them through a surreal and glamorous world of airline iconography and dramatising how it feels to fly with the airline," said Virgin Atlantic.

"Our objective in producing this TV ad was to bring to life the 'it' that makes Virgin Atlantic such a special and unique airline," said Paul Dickinson, director of sales and marketing at Virgin Atlantic. "We were keen to do that in a highly memorable, eye-catching and amusing way."